Pfizer's atopic dermatitis treatment meets goals in late-stage study

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FILE PHOTO: The logo of U.S. pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer Inc. is seen at a branch in Zurich, Switzerland October 2, 2018. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc’s new atopic dermatitis treatment met the main goals in a late-stage study that tested the drug in patients aged 12 and older with moderate to severe forms of the disease, the drugmaker said on Wednesday.

Abrocitinib, which belongs to a class of drugs known as JAK inhibitors, which block inflammation-causing enzymes, known as Janus kinases, achieved statistically significant improvement in clearing the skin of patients as compared to placebo.

The results of the study, which tested two doses of the drug in 387 patients, showed abrocitinib was consistently well-tolerated, Pfizer said.

Abrocitinib, which received breakthrough therapy designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year, also met the secondary goals of reducing itch severity.

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin disease characterized by inflammation of the skin and skin barrier defects.